How state education agencies spend federal education dollars and whyCenter for American Progress Historically, state departments of education, or SEAs, have — for the most part — been compliance-focused organizations that managed federal education policy. Over the past several decades, these agencies have been education policy implementation entities. Today, while their compliance responsibilities have remained, they are taking on more responsibility for education and academic outcomes than ever before, substantially increasing the scope of their work. State leaders and their staffs must distribute federal education dollars and monitor the districts' use of these funds in accordance to regulations set by federal policymakers.

Student-Paced, Mastery-Based MathSince 2004, Math-U-See has worked with intervention and special education teachers to reach struggling special needs math students. Math-U-See corresponds to math ability rather than traditional grade levels, so it can be used with students of any age. We provide tools and training for an explicit, structured, systematic, cumulative program using multi-sensory teaching techniques. MORE

Does the way a classroom is decorated affect learning?The New York Times A new study tries to determine whether there might be a correlation between how a room is decorated and kindergartners' learning. The researchers wanted to know if too many decorations could actually be distracting or overstimulating for young minds. But similar questions could be asked about how classroom environment might influence older students' academic performance as well. Does the way your classroom is decorated affect your learning?

Help students with disabilities succeed in collegeNCLDMany parents often wonder what will happen after their child graduates high school. How will your child get the help he deserves in college? What schools can provide the supports your child needs? Maybe you want your child to attend a four-year university or maybe a community college or trade school. But here's the problem — if your child has a learning disability, or any disability for that matter, there's no easy way to get information on options after high school.

Children taught to read with phonics could be 2 years aheadMadeForMumsSmall study of one class of 30 pupils suggests phonics can be a real boost to reading. Children taught to read using phonics are 2 years ahead of those who learn by the 'look and say' whole language approach, according to a small new study. Phonics techniques — blending common sounds into words — have been widely used in schools in England since 2010. The research followed a single class of 30 children who used the phonics method from reception until the end of year 2 in primary school, between 2010 and 2013.

6 ways to make digital content universally accessibleeSchool News As school districts move toward a digital transition and attempt to create content repositories, ensuring that the digital content is accessible for students of all abilities is especially important. A new policy brief from the State Education Technology Directors Association, "The Accessibility of Learning Content for All Students, Including Students with Disabilities," notes that "digital learning materials ... can improve the classroom experience for all students, and they may hold particular promise for students with disabilities."

Does the way a classroom is decorated affect learning?The New York Times A new study tries to determine whether there might be a correlation between how a room is decorated and kindergartners' learning. The researchers wanted to know if too many decorations could actually be distracting or overstimulating for young minds.

Common Core's promise collides with IEP realitiesEducation WeekOne of the most promising elements of common academic standards for students with disabilities, say experts in special education, is that they offer explicit connections from one set of skills to another.

In plain language: 5 big FAQ's about dyslexiaPsychology TodayPsychologists, cognitive scientists and neuroscientists are unraveling the mysteries of dyslexia. But if you are a parent, teacher or caregiver, it may be hard to read and comprehend the latest research.

Common Core sparks flood of legislationeSchool News Stephen Colbert mocked it. Comedian Louis C.K. called it a "massive stress ball that hangs over the whole school." And lawmakers in state capitols spent countless hours over the past few months debating it. Their target is the Common Core, a set of math and English language arts standards voluntarily adopted beginning four years ago by all but a handful of states. The standards define what students should know and be able to do by the end of each grade.

Possible redemption for No Child Left Behind?The Atlantic In the ten years since its implementation, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has been blamed for causing a decade-long decline in teacher job satisfaction and eroding teacher autonomy by taking control of curricula out of their hands. But a new study published online in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, "Estimating the Effects of No Child Left Behind on Teachers and Their Work Environment," suggests that NCLB has not actually affected teacher happiness in these ways — on the contrary, some measures of job satisfaction, including classroom control and teachers' perceptions of administrator support, have increased on average since the implementation of the legislation.

Study: Teen bullies, victims armed more than other kidsHealthDay News Teenage bullies and their victims are more likely to carry weapons than kids not involved in these abusive relationships, according to a new research review. With school shootings a concern across the United States, the findings — culled from 45 previously published studies — put a spotlight on the potential link between bullying and subsequent violence, experts said.

Obama's $120 million school safety planThe Daily Beast Video surveillance, school safety officers, concrete barriers and metal detectors are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to preventing shootings in schools. School safety experts suggest the best strategies for preventing school shooting complement those approaches, which they refer to as "target hardening," or making targets more difficult to attack. People like Beverly Kingston, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder, suggest that halting school violence starts much earlier.

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